Moskowitz/Klein Emails Reveal UFT Intentions on Organizing Charters

I don't have the patience to wade through the emails (here's the link if you want to get your kicks), but luckily people like Elizabeth Green at Gotham did so (we've missed you, Elizabeth).

WHAT RANDI SAID: In an Oct. 8, 2008, e-mail, Moskowitz claims that former city teachers union president Randi Weingarten, and her personal enemy, suggested that the duo write a thin contract together. Presumably that would mean that Harlem Success schools would become unionized, and the resulting work contract would have very few restrictions. Moskowitz said she would but only if Weingarten also agreed to a thin contract at half of all city schools. The union’s first thin contract, with the Green Dot charter school in the Bronx, landed in June 2009.

Could you just imagine the Randi/Mulgrew qvelling and distorting if they actually got Evil to go along with this? We've been predicting that the UFT moves to organize charters will be all about thin contracts with "very few restrictions" on the charter operators. Which will screw the teachers, of course. In ICE and GEM we ask ourselves what to tell charter school teachers who might be interested in having the UFT organize them. My instinct is to say, "Try the exterminators union." But seriously, do you urge them to become part of an undemocratic, narrow, sell-out union?

Broad Jumping

The Educational Intelligence Agency's Mike Antonucci reports in this week's posting on his coverage of the NEA convention:

The delegates also pulled their annual punch at Eli Broad, referring to committee an item that directed NEA to "aggressively work to expose the dangers of pursuing the 'Broad Prize' and other veiled awards promoted by those who seek to destroy public education."

Don't expect even a light jab from the AFT at Broad, who gave the UFT charter school $1 million and is the backer of Green Dot charters' Steve Barr who has been in a love fest with the UFT's Randi Weingarten. When Weingarten takes over the AFT next July, will her connections to Broad be one of the sticking points in the long-sought merger between the AFT and NEA?

The Broad prize has been much coveted by BloomKlein so they can use it politically to validate their daily reorganizations of the schools. Getting the Broad prize for NYC would be the equivalent of the Bush Administration getting the Halliburton prize for humanity.

People consider it a slam dunk they will win it this year (announcement is Sept. 19) so the Broadies can use NYC for their own political purposes: defang teacher unions, privatize as much as possible, etc.

Pretty ironic, eh, for Broad to give $1million to both BloomKlein and Weingarten? But then again, you know the mantra of this blog - that the UFT collaboration with BloomKlein has been instrumental in allowing them to do what they did to the system - sort of a 5th column. You know, like in the old WWII movies, where you are shocked to find out the supposed leader of the Resistance was actually working for the Narzi's all along.

The one chance to make a statement opposing them by holding a massive rally on May 9th was undermined by Weingarten who sold teachers on the deal by claiming the deal with Bloomberg would keep schools from being penalized for hiring higher salaried teachers. See if that's true by checking out the post: The Bronx is burning with ATR's.

Note: Leonie Haimson came up with an interesting idea for a date to hold a rally: Sept. 18, the day before the Broad prize is announced. Want to bet my pension the UFT will nix that idea?

VAM This: Is This a New Definition of an Effective Teacher - Throwing your body over kids during a tornado or in front of a bullet?

One can never say what you would do in situations like these and I cannot say for sure what I would do. I had a few minor incidents over my years of teaching where I hope I did the right thing. I think most teachers generally act in the interests of the safety of the kids in extreme conditions. It is an almost automatic act to put the kids in your charge ahead of yourself. But here is a scary thought: you take your kids on a trip and either due to your not being careful enough or due to one of your kids going off kilter (and maybe if a kid who was capable of going off should not have been on the trip) a kid falls on the tracks and a train is coming. What do you do? I'm really picturing this scene and right now I'm still standing on the edge of the platform reaching down and urging the child to grab my hands. But I haven't jumped on the tracks yet. The clock is ticking. How effective will I be deemed under the new definition of VAM?


Special to Ed Notes from Jim Callaghan 
 
Great to hear from Jim today, chief defender of teacher rights at the NY Teacher before Mulgrew fired him in the summer of 2010. Jim watching the actions of the teachers in Oklahoma expresses some outrage though he is a day behind on the NY Times editorials.

Once again, in Oklahoma, we see teachers putting the lives of their students first.

When will Mulgrew demand that his "close" friend Bermuda Mike apologize for calling teachers "radicals' last week? Maybe he could bring it up during the next plane ride to Bermuda.

When will Mulgrew manage a word of complaint when the N.Y. Times editorial writers- hiding behind the cloak of anonymity- calls on mayoral candidates to "get tough" on teachers?

When will Weingarten and Mulgrew beg forgiveness from the members for their Vichy collaboration with the likes of Tisch, Green Dot, Bill Gates, Klein, Walcott, Duncan, Bloomberg and dozens of others who seek to single out teachers for the ills of our society?

When will Mulgrew, a moral coward, do the right thing and resign his office and let someone who cares about the members take over?

What is your kid's life worth?

At TFA LIFO Panel Part 1

I gave out about a hundred copies of Julie's statement with a rap about how her position on lifo is stronger than uft presentation.
Lindsay Christ already printed a copy from the blog.
Evan came over to introduce himself. Claims he was supposed to be on panel in wash hts but dis-invited.

False advertising. Pedro Noguera is not here. A woman told me it was clear he wouldn't be here because she just saw him in New Orleans. But did the call Julie? Noooooo. They replaced him with an "emergency" replacement - Matt Willoughby - who is a TFA alum and principal of the Urban Assembly School of Design. He said teachers not working with kids - specifically ATRs and teachers up on charges should go first.
Now E4E - elevate discussion for classroom teachers - which of course she no longer is after 3 years. Laying out E4E line. Excessive absences should go - claims several hundred. Then U ratings. Then target ATRs - over 6 months.
Teachers who turn down jobs should go.
Leo- Bloomberg is stealth Wisconsin - Bloom manufactured crisis. Numbers at Tweed has gone up.
Bloomberg sees oppty to create at will employees (like Green Dot, Leo?). Now good point - turns layoffs into firing so have no right of return.
Due process - don't want dp. Absenses. U ratings. Raises Bx princ who sexually harrassed. Filed 3020a charges agst tchrs who testified against him. Gog help us if we give up protections.
He says only way is Lifo rigjt now.
Lindsey - is that good for students?
Leo- only good thing for students is no layoffs. System lost 5000 teachers over last few years. Class sizes high.
Leo actually did a decent job though I think he didn't lay things out as well as Julie would have.
Michelle Rhee slug is throwing out the anti Lifo line.
Lindsay says she will get back to principals behavior.
TFA guy just said Noguera had family emergency and they only found out a few hours ago. They still could have called Julie.

Part 2 coming next.

Cheers
Norm Scott

Education Notes
ednotesonline.blogspot.com
Grassroots Education Movement

Education Editor, The Wave
www.rockawave.com

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

New Action Supported UFT Charter Schools

This comment

Thank God for New Action. The UFT needs change. The UFT needs to start to fight for its members who are fighting with all their might, all on their own against charter schools. It is terrible the UFT, the teachers unions, is sitting back and doing NOTHING! That is what teachers pay for and the UFT does absolutely NOTHING!

at the Gotham Schools posting that made it seem New Action was an opposition caucus led to my response below:

New Action at one time used to be for change, but as partners with the UFT leadership for the past 7 years that is all over. They used to actually have a decent platform calling the UFT leadership undemocratic and calling for democratization of the union. Now that they got theirs, all that has disappeared.

How can the UFT fight charter schools when they have two of their own? And occupying space in public schools. And New Action supported them all the way, with some New Action members volunteering in the charters. ICE and TJC were opposed to the establishment of the charters because it was clear what was coming down the line and having their own charters would make a fight impossible. The UFT strategy was to "show them we can do it with a union contract," which New Action has supported. Then they sign a contract with Green Dot charter, also not opposed by New Action. Now their strategy is not to oppose charters but to try to organize them. Sort of like going back to the 1950's. The charters will remove public schools and the UFT will try to sell charter school teachers on the concept of "look how incompetent we have been in defending NYC teachers, now give us a chance to screw you too."

I know. Some say better any union contract than nothing. But the idea is so ass backwards as to make your hair hurt. The tidal wave is coming and the UFT is using a thimble to bail. And New Action will be there with them all the way.

ICE, TJC, Ed Notes and GEM have been working on positions that place the charter attack on public education in context. We have also been on the front lines supporting public school parents and teachers in their struggles over shared space. It was no accident that ICE's Lisa North's picture was on the front page of the NY Times yesterday in the story on charters. Angel Gonzalez, other GEMers and I also were there to support them. New Action has had zero presence at any of these charter school battles, even less than the bare presence the UFT leadership itself has had.

Related:
The New Action blog doesn't allow comments.

The Roots of UFT Policy Forum

Thurs. Dec. 27 11-2pm in the Midwood section of Brooklyn.

We are running a forum this Thursday at 11 am in Brooklyn that will delve into the UFT's response to the major issues facing NYC teachers.

Many people think Randi Weingarten has turned the union in a new direction from its roots.
Is this really true when the UFT/AFT has a certain history that goes back to Al Shanker on many of the push button issues of today?
Why does the UFT support mayoral control?
Certain types of merit pay?
High stakes testing?
Reducing teacher due process rights?
The end of seniority?
Charter schools - deals with Green Dot?
Why does the UFT have a basic mistrust in its own members?
Why is the UFT leadership so restrictive of democracy?

The roots of many of these policies go way back to before Weingarten ever set foot in the UFT building. In fact I surmise there was a talent search to find someone with her skill set to assure a continuance of these long-term policies. For those of you who think recent contracts are a result of her being bamboozled by BloomKlein, she has continued most UFT policies with great skill while controlling the membership. Someone said to me that Unity always bought off people who had flirted with the opposition (ie. people like Leo Casey and Lynn Winderbaum as just 2 examples.) But Randi's brilliant innovation was buying off the entire New Action Caucus. Now, there's creative management.

One of the issues we will explore is what areas has Weingarten has changed the direction of the UFT, if any.

Examining these issues will bring some clarity in understanding certain basic issues.

We hope to continue the discussion in future sessions (possibly during the midwinter break in Feb. and the spring break) and to publish something afterwards.

I was asked why this is important at this time?

My immediate response was that ideology, not individuals drive AFT/UFT policy. Thus, when Randi Weingarten eventually (and not too soon I would bet as the home front of Unity in terms of capable personnel is not exactly firm) gives up her position as UFT president, there might be hope her replacement will take the UFT in another direction. Don't bet on it. Weingarten is trying to shape up the top level of Unity to keep things in line while as AFT president she races around the country to try to elect Hillary. (Of course if Hillary is not the nominee, that might have an effect.)

One might ask why such a big push for the Richard Kahlenberg Shanker bio, which justifies almost all of Al Shanker's policies, especially his alliances with the business community that has led to many of the destructive policies that have put public schools under such attack? Why is the concept of "Tough Liberalism" which includes a major attack on the left, being shoved in people's faces? Why is the New Century Foundation and the Eli Broad foundation back this book?

Lots of questions. We hope to find some answers.

Thurs. Dec. 27 11-2pm
There is still room.
Contact me at normsco@gmail.com if you are interested in attending and I will send you details.

NEA too big for its britches?

Here's an attack by Richard Whitmire on the NEA for "dissing" the mis-using of phony "accountability" to privatize the schools. Watch how the AFT under Weingarten will be distinguished from the NEA as being more reasonable and reform-minded as Randi reprises the Al Shanker role of the 80's and 90's. The NEA at the time,which had been holding fast for proper funding, blinked under the joint assault of business, politicians and the AFT. Let's hope for a firmer stand today- but don' t get your hopes up too far.

I understand the Broader, Bolder argument that schools can’t do it all. But some things, especially semifixable things, can’t be put off until poverty is “solved.” And as Core Knowledge, KIPP, Uncommon Schools, Green Dot and other schools have demonstrated, it is possible to make a difference by changing what can be changed.

By dissing successful charters and tough school accountability, the NEA has drifted so far leftward that even the Rev. Al Sharpton has drawn a line in the sand. Teaming up with reform school leaders such as New York’s Joel Klein, Sharpton’s Education Equality Project is calling out the teachers unions on issues such as protecting incompetent teachers and tolerating the widespread school failures among African-American boys.

The full piece is at:
http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=093201A0-3048-5C12-006CF8EA735A1A70

NEA too big for its britches
By: Richard Whitmire
July 9, 2008

The Politics of Venture Philanthropy in Charter School Policy

Call it vulture philanthropy

From Sharon Higgins

Here’s a scholarly and informative article to share with you: "The Politics of Venture Philanthropy in Charter School Policy and Advocacy," by Janelle Scott (Associate Professor at UC Berkeley, formerly NYU) and published by SAGE. It will take a while to read (32 pages), but I believe it will be worth your time.

Scott explains the billionaires' strategy to push charter schools onto communities and how they are maneuvering their immense foundation-giving to achieve this result. She also describes the not-always-well-intentioned, and/or misguided, history of foundation "giving" which has targeted communities of color in the past.

The foundation-giving programs of today require an important trade-off from the local communities: namely, the relinquishment of interest and power over their own public schools to the public education notions of a few immensely wealthy oligarchs. What does it tell us that the communities where this is occurring necessitated first being placed under authoritarian rule?

Scott’s article explains how the "gifts" of these foundations are going to a broad range of charter advocacy groups, pro-charter research organizations, alternative teacher and principal training programs, charter school development organizations, etc. EdVoice, Center for Education Reform, TFA, NewSchools Venture Fund, NewLeaders for New Schools, KIPP, Green Dot, Democrats for Education Reform, and the EEP are just the teeny tiny tip of the you're-going-to-have-charter-schools-if-you-want-them-or-not iceberg.

Scott describes the flow of money to these organizations with the intent to have them work as a network in unison to further the billionaires' goal. Very few of the donations go directly to individual schools and their students, but just enough to make them look a lot better than their traditional school neighbors. The majority of the dollars go toward advocacy, propaganda, and the building of a national pro-charter school structure.

I've recently learned how Broad has bought off large, important portions of PBS, and how Ms. Gates is on the board of the Washington Post. The extent to which the media has been co-opted by this force would be a good topic for someone to track. We know how heavily they have influenced the White House.

I was especially interested to learn that one of the official techniques used to push charter schools, and described in a 2004 Philanthropy Roundtable donors guide, is "...the sponsorship of efforts that put parents of color out front instead of 'rich, white Republicans.' " The technique is exactly described here and here.

This general strategy may also explain why a deeply-in-debt-to-the-IRS Al Sharpton was persuaded to join the pro-charter force.

Another small item that may be of interest to some of you is that the Broad Foundation paid the Century Foundation $100,000 (in 2004) and $29,973 (in 2007) to "support research on the late union leader Albert Shanker." You may view The Broad Foundation 990's here.

Perhaps this is the "why" it has come about that pro-charter forces mention Albert Shanker so frequently for being responsible for the idea of charter schools. They use this statement to both justify the existence of charter schools, and to attempt to disarm the teachers' union complaints about them.

The details of these maneuvers are extensive, and won’t be easily grasped by the American public, not to mention the lesser educated parents in the communities now being targeted. The word about what is really going on desperately needs to get out more broadly.

Download the article here. But you have to register first. I have the pdf. Email me if you want a copy.

Related:

Susan Ohanian reports on Broad takeover of Phi Delta Kappan

Note: These are the people Weingarten and the UFT/AFT want to partner with.

Will GHI/HIP Merger and Privatization Raise Costs?

Monday, March 3, 2008

Recently, we have been made aware of the dangers of the GHI/HIP merger, which is supported by the UFT and most other unions. Guess what? The unions get a windfall out of this – nothing to do with the members, of course, who will probably get screwed by higher costs. After all, this is all about privatization which will remove state controls – we've seen how corporate greed works out.

It should be pointed out that the UFT has been part and parcel of the move to privatize the public schools, whether in support of charters like Green Dot or their own charter schools, the backing of Gates and Annenberg money to control public ed policy, etc. Plus making sure to get their swag from the professional development money train – a regular little corporate model, our UFT.

We had a brief discussion on this at last Friday's ICE meeting and will be following up. The group fighting this will be giving out a leaflet at the Delegate Assembly this Weds. The have been going around to opposition caucus meetings of various unions to make their objections known. Recently hundreds of people attended a hearing on the issue. Many were locked out until they called NY 1 and "suddenly" space was found for them.

Right now New York City has been opposed, fighing for a bigger share of the cut. (My God! We're on the same side as Bloomberg!) But expect that to be settled soon.


Everyone should start asking questions about this. What are the unions getting? How will that affect the members? What are politicians getting? Check contributions from GHI/HIP to campaigns, etc.

Ed Notes had this report on Feb. 25, 2008:
There are UFT members and others who feel the merger of HIP and GHI is a bad thing. The result will be a joint privatized HIP/GHI operation instead of being under public control. Instinct says that is not a good thing. Check it out here. http://socialistparty-usa.org/stopthemerger/

Anthony Weiner called for Congressional hearings on the HIP/GHI merger back in Nov. '06, stating:

I write to request that you convene Judiciary Committee hearings early in the next Congress to examine whether consumers are being adequately protected from anti-trust concerns when health care insurers merge.

In New York, the two health care insurers that cover 90 percent of the City’s municipal employers, GHI and HIP, have announced their intention to merge. The Department of Justice and the State Insurance Department have both approved the union, failing to find any anti-trust concerns.

But the City of New York believes that the new merged health provider will create a monopoly, eliminating the City’s leverage when negotiating for employee health coverage, and empowering these two health insurers to demand taxpayers pay them tens of millions of dollars more than they currently receive.

As New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said today, the proposed merger, “is taking away the City’s ability to negotiate a fair price for health care plans. . . .The City’s tax payers are going to be so royally taken advantage of. . .so [GHI and HIP] can rip us off.”

Yesterday, Judge Kenneth M. Karas of the Southern District of New York refused to intervene to block the merger.

This most recent proposal is part of a larger pattern of insurance mergers. Oxford was purchased by UnitedHealthcare in 2004. And last year, the parent of Empire Blue Cross and Blue Shield, the largest insurer in New York State, was purchased by Wellpoint for $6.5 billion.

This issue demands enhanced oversight. I look forward to focusing on anti-trust issues facing the health insurance industry early in the next Congress.

If anyone has info on the follow-up, share it.

Think the UFT would ever support Weiner for Mayor? I bet Bill Thompson, our Comptroller and the UFT fave for mayor, supports the merger. Don't know for sure, just a guess.

The Weiner letter is at:
http://www.house.gov/list/press/ny09_weiner/061117merger.html

The president of the Medical Society of the State of New York believes the conversion of the GHI-HIP insurance company would have a negative impact on patient care and payments to physicians. - Jan. 30, 2008. Read in full here.

The UFT take from Arthur Pepper is here. Pepper will supposedly be on the Board to protect your interests (supposedly.) He says: Most importantly, all through the process both GHI and HIP have pledged to their subscribers to keep to the mission of affordable and quality health care.

Sort of like the DOE "pledge" to reduce class size. But there's more about the incest between the UFT and HIP.

Ira Goldfine reported on ICE-mail yesterday:

Tonight's Jeopardy answer is:

Arthur H. Barnes senior vice president for External Affairs and Corporate Contributions at HIP Health Plans

and the question is "Who was Sandra Feldman's husband?"

The share of the pot that will be given to NY State upon the two companies merging is huge and the UFT has been part of this for years -- this was talked about before Randi ever made her entrance into the UFT. Supposedly the unions were going to get a piece of the action in return for their support.

Loretta Prisco followed up on ICE-mail with this report:

Recently I ran into an old friend at a concert. During intermission, she told me about the hearings that she went to about the ghi/hip merger and it is going for-profit. She was really incensed, and to be honest, I couldn't quite get to the facts. So I called her.

There were 70 listed speakers - there were reps from other unions - who all spoke against it. She is looking for the list of speakers for me.

The Emblem presentation did not talk about quality of care at all.

One union rep challenged them about jobs leaving NYC. Emblem assured them that there would be no loss of jobs to NYC. The rep said that 15 jobs had already moved out to LI.

No doctors spoke.

She is pretty disgusted over the fact that the UFT wasn't there and that we are not getting info - "we are professionals - smart - and should be getting some facts - pros and cons". She is as upset over how the union is dealing (or rather not dealing with us on this ) than the possible loss of services and increased fees.

She said that NYC was against it at the hearing - but now, as we know, for it. NYS is in favor of it because as a for profit - they can collect taxes. Again, nothing about quality of care.

But Loretta, they pledged to keep up the quality? Cynic!!

Parsing Inside Unity Info - Part 1- Does Klein Have A Mole in the UFT?

Well, reporters have been calling about some of the Inside Unity stuff appearing in the comments section of this post Is UFT Bronx Leader Vargas Going Rogue? - Updated. We started hearing from Da Moles (there are definitely more than one) while in Seattle and posted the July comments here.

Now some of the stuff seems "out there" but within all there are many grains of truth. We have confirmed that staffers are unhappy with Leroy Barr and Jose Vargas. As to whether Barr and Vargas are at war we have not confirmed. Lurking behind the anonymous info was the hint of racial issues. Is Vargas setting up a Latino/a only operation? Is there resentment on the part of some black Unity people? When in Seattle we had some contact with some black members of Unity who told us they secretly read and supported many ed notes positions and expressed some unhappiness at the way jobs were being given out.

This Mole comment on July 24th was interesting:

FORGET THE CONVENTIONS AND THE PERKS AND THE DO- NOTHING JOBS AT 52 BROADWAY.
RANDI LEFT MULGREW IN CHARGE- THEN KLEIN SENT HIS GUY BRIAN GIBBONS IN TO KEEP MULGREW ON A SHORT LEASH 

Gibbons used to be the spokesman for the principal's union, which doesn't necessarily condemn him to being "Klein's" man. But who knows?

There was more in the July 24th comment of interest:

RANDI HAS GIVEN UP ON UNIONS AND PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND SHE WANTS TO BE A PLAYER IN D.C.
SHE AND MULGREW WILL DO ANYTHING TO WIND UP ON THE RIGHT SIDE- THE RIGHT SIDE BEING GATES, BLOOMBERG, ET. AL., AND BOTH OF THEM COULD EASILY BE AT D.O.E. SO SHE GUTTED THE CONTRACT, LEFT THE RUBBER ROOMERS IN LEGAL LIMBO FOR TEN YEARS AND STARTED PROTECTING HER FRIENDS IN D.O.E AND GREEN DOT AND SHARPTON AND THE OTHER MISCREANTS.
THIS IS ABOUT DESTROYING TEACHERS UNIONS AND DESTROYING PUBLIC EDUCATION AND RANDI AND MULGREW ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF IT.
EVERYTHING ELSE IS A DISTRACTION.

This is pretty on target. I think there is more to it. I don't look at personalities as causal - what Randi/Mulgrew want, etc. There is policy and I see it as more of a direct line of consistency over 30 or more years than just as Randi's wishes. (GEM has set up a UFT/AFT study group to delve deeper into this issue.)

One thing is noticeable. Randi had her finger on every single button and jumped in at the first sign of trouble. Clearly she monitored the blogs for those signs and any rumblings coming out of dissidents in schools. She jumped in early and tried to coopt or even buy people off (see one New Action Caucus).

Mulgrew just doesn't have the chops Randi had to manage all this. Someone called yesterday and said, "Randi jumped ship just in time and left Mulgrew holding the bag." I used to disagree with this analysis since Randi's power base at the AFT was totally dependent on the UFT and behind that Unity Caucus. (I'm going to do a follow-up on why the management of Unity Caucus is of a higher priority than managing the union itself and will compare it to the Chicago situation.)

But maybe the combination of buying off the leading opposition for 20 years and the ineptness of the current opposition in making a dent (and yes, I play a role in that ineptness)  have made Randi so confident of not having to face a Chicago style revolt in NYC for a very long time, if ever. (More on this in follow-ups too.)

Another thing has emerged: One of the moles seems to be trying to redirect suspicion by giving clues to other people. I have some ideas as to who these people may be. Some are lower level school based and others are in 52 Broadway. Are they just people with grudges - didn't get a job, jealousy, etc -  or are there serious cracks showing up?

One of the more intriguing pieces of information is that there are deals between Klein and Mulgrew for UFT people to be placed at Tweed. We'll delve into some historical aspects of the UFT at the old BOE and what might be occurring. Key words: Aminda Gentile and teacher centers.

See part 2: Parsing Inside Unity: Does the UFT Have Backroom Deals for Jobs With BloomKlein?

--------------
Afterburn1

Some of the latest info tells us that Brooklyn/SI high school district rep Charlie Friedman was forced into retirement. Charlie was one of the many Unity crew that enjoyed a cruise to Alaska after the AFT convention - they paid their own way we hear. His replacement is rumored to be closing school Maxwell's chapter leader Jeff Bernstein. At one time I heard Bernstein was going to replace Mulgrew as Vocational HS Veep supposedly Bernstein and Mulgrew are close). Berstein, on the surface a nice guy, used to have me deliver Ed Notes and then throw them away. And when I went in and put them in boxes he and Distr rep Charlie Turner made sure they didn't stay there. They both went after a GEMer at their school who dared to call out during Randi's farewell speech.

Maxwell by the way had 22 people excessed. ATRville here they come.

--------
Afterburn2

Our ICE pal Julie Woodward's daughter Lisa, who performs under the stage name Lucy Woodward, made a fabulous appearance on the CBS morning show this morning, performing 2 songs from her new jazz album. I've seen her perform as a rock singer a few times but now she is going back to her jazz roots. Her mom is an accomplished music teacher so we know where it comes from.
I put up Lucy's last email newsletter to fans on Norms Notes. From Lucy Woodward
Her web site is: http://www.lucywoodward.com/

I loved this piece:

The Pizza Sessions:
After a recent gig in NYC, I ended up in a pizzeria (naturally) on Bleecker street with my friend, Heather. It was a stormy night, 3 am. Six stoned, english laddies walk in and on the spot, we bonk them over the head with a couple of my songs convincing them to beatbox to 'Babies' and 'He Got Away'. It was a classic New York moment and we got it on videotape here....(viva Flipcam!)...

Another Tweed Screwing of Public Schools...

...while favoring charters set up by rich people (Courtney Sales Ross, the trophy wife head of deceased Time-Warner head, Steve Ross, now turned savior of the poor and undeducated. (I mean Courtney, not Steve.) It looks like they're sick of having the Ross Global Charter School at Tweed, so let's dump them into a prime, overcrowded public school. Too bad. When I attend press conferences at Tweed and go to the bathroom, I get a glimpse of the school in action. And I love watching the kids at recess playing in the garden next to Tweed. Real children in proximity to the lawyers and MBA's. Ugh! But unless Klein is willing to give up his cubicle, I guess there's no more room for the much-needed expansion. So, shove them into some public school in one of the most crowded areas of Manhattan. What's the matter, no room in East New York? Maybe have them share space with the UFT Charter. Or with Green Dot in the Bronx.

Read the letter Ross Chater sent to the parents:

Expansion of charter school is ”necessary to ensure the continued financial sustainability of the school” here at Norm's Notes.

Leonie Haimson reports:

Parent Protest

What: parent meeting and protests about proposed move of Ross global charter school into a public school space– in one of the most overcrowded areas of District 2.

When: Wed., April 16 at 6 PM.

Where: 55 E. 25 between Madison and Park Ave South

For the DOE’s own highly negative assessments of the Ross school, see http://schools.nyc.gov/NR/exeres/3A42B137-91F8-4243-A5B4-75148DD7CD03.htm

For negative comments from former parents and teachers at the school, see

InsideSchools and the Great schools website.

Let's Discuss Teacher Union Response to Ed Deform

I often get asked about the motivation and behavior of the UFT/AFT and even the NEA, which comes off as as a bit more in opposition to the assault on teachers, their unions and public education.

It may seem funny to those who know of him, but I had a bit of this conversation with NYC Charter honcho Jim Merriman when I ran into him at the Duncan fest in Brownsville the other day. (If I get a chance I'll get into more of this conversation where the two of us seem to agree on a bunch of surprising things.)

The answer is complex, requiring historical context and a deep political analysis. The simple answer is that union leaders' main mantra is to hold onto power at all costs. But it does go deeper. My other simple answer is that fighting back is just not part of their DNA. But then we have to drill down to find out why.

People in ICE and GEM have been talking about a forum that will drill, baby, drill into this issue. Maybe sometime in June. In the meantime, here is a section of a long article by LA teacher Gillian Russom (who I met in LA this past summer.) The article, Obama’s neoliberal agenda for education, is from the International Socialist Review. (You can read it in full here: http://isreview.org/issues/71/feat-neoliberaleducation.shtml)

Gillian covers a lot of ground. I extracted a section on the behavior of the teachers unions vis a vis the attack on public ed. She concludes with:

in the absence of our own grassroots, democratic vision of school transformation (that also protects and extends union rights), these union leaders just end up picking and choosing which aspects of the top-down reform agenda to get on board with.

This is a start but I still feel we need to drill deeper.


Responses by teachers’ unions

National leaders of the AFT and NEA have accepted many of the assumptions of the neoliberal attack. “We finally have an education president,” said AFT President Randi Weingarten, following Obama’s first education speech that stressed “performance pay” and charter schools. “We really embrace the fact that he’s talked about both shared responsibility and making sure there is a voice for teachers, something that was totally lacking in the last eight years.” 39

In response to the same speech, NEA President Dennis Van Roekel said, “President Obama always says he will do it with educators, not to them. That is a wonderful feeling, for the president of the United States to acknowledge and respect the professional knowledge and skills that those educators bring to every job in the school.”40

Both unions initially voiced their support of RTTT. Weingarten said of the program, “The Department of Education worked hard to strike the right balance between what it takes to get system-wide improvement for schools and kids, and how to measure that improvement.”41 And Van Roekel said, “While NEA disagrees with some of the details surrounding the RTTT initiative, this is an unprecedented opportunity to make a lasting impact on student achievement, the teaching profession, and public education.”42

Weingarten has been supporting forms of merit pay and charter schools for years. When she was president of New York City’s United Federation of Teachers (UFT) from 1998 to 2009, the UFT opened two of its own charter schools and partnered with Green Dot to run a third where teachers are under separate contracts from the rest of the UFT. In October 2007, the UFT implemented “performance” bonuses for teachers at schools that improved their test scores.

Now, Weingarten is touting the new contract for New Haven teachers as “a model or a template” for the rest of the country. The contract implements performance bonuses for schools that improve their test scores; gives the school district the right to shut down and reconstitute low-performing schools as charters; and makes it easier for the district to fire teachers after a 120-day “improvement period.” New Haven teachers approved the contract by an overwhelming vote of 842 to 39.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the AFT “recently issued a batch of innovation grants to districts that are tying teacher pay to performance,” and the NEA “is taking similar steps to encourage tougher evaluations and to loosen seniority systems, moves that Mr. Duncan called ‘monumental breakthroughs.’”43

The NEA, which had largely refrained from criticizing Obama, did issue a critical statement after the release of the Blueprint:

We were expecting to see a much broader effort to truly transform public education for kids. Instead, the accountability system… still relies on standardized tests to identify winners and losers. We were expecting more funding stability to enable states to meet higher expectations. Instead, the “blueprint” requires states to compete for critical resources, setting up another winners-and-losers scenario. We were expecting school turnaround efforts to be research-based and fully collaborative. Instead, we see too much top-down scapegoating of teachers and not enough collaboration.

Nevertheless, the NEA has not put forward a clear strategy on how to shift education policy.

For the AFT, Weingarten has issued a strategy piece entitled, “A New Path Forward.”44 Her proposal for fixing public education contains four elements: 1) a new, more fair, and “expedient” process of teacher evaluation and for dealing with ineffective teachers; 2) a new fair and faster system of due process for teachers accused of misconduct; 3) giving teachers the “tools, time, and trust” to succeed; and 4) creating a trusting partnership between labor and management.

Although the document purports to challenge teacher scapegoating, Weingarten’s first two recommendations accept the logic that individual classroom teachers are what’s standing in the way of quality education. The piece makes no mention of the decimation of school funding nationwide. Most importantly, “A New Path Forward” stresses collaboration with politicians and school districts at a time when we need to be mounting a serious fight against them for funding and democracy.

Why aren’t the national unions taking a more aggressive approach to fight Obama’s anti-union agenda? Obviously, their close ties with Obama and the Democrats are a major factor. Moreover, it has been a long time since teachers’ unions in the U.S. waged any large-scale struggle for our rights, and there is the perception that the Obama agenda has such broad support that it would be impossible to challenge—so if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.

In addition, the national unions’ approach is based on an underlying recognition that people are fed up with our public schools. Yet in the absence of our own grassroots, democratic vision of school transformation (that also protects and extends union rights), these union leaders just end up picking and choosing which aspects of the top-down reform agenda to get on board with.
--------------

In this section Gillian offers some ideas for the future which dovetails with some of the concepts we have been talking about here in NYC. Her point about the unease between left activists who ignore radical school reform movements and the distrust by radical/progressive reformers of union activists has been echoed here at times where ICE and TJC represent the former and NYCORE the latter. One of the ideas behind the formation of Teachers Unite was Sally Lee's attempt to bring these 2 movements closer. Some members of ICE and TJC worked with Sally over the past few years on various projects. GEM over the past year has turned out to be the place where some fusion with NYCORE and other groups has taken place. Lately we have started looking at joint projects with the Coalition for Public Education, a broad based group has roots in some communities.


Grassroots, democratic reform versus top-down, corporate reform

We also need to be deeply involved in putting forward our own vision and concrete plans for transforming our own schools. The left within the teachers’ unions has always fought back against cuts, but for the most part has been hesitant to get involved in reform projects to transform individual schools. We have been clear about what we are against, but much less clear about what we are for.

At the same time, radical education reformers whose focus is creating alternative school models have mostly been working at a distance from the teachers’ unions, which they see as uninterested in questions of school transformation.

If our goal is to build a mass movement for public education, radicals in the teachers’ unions need to reclaim the terrain of education visionaries and combine it with our struggle for school funding and stronger union rights. We need to be part of the small struggles to improve schools in the here and now, because these will help build the community coalitions and power to fight for the massive increase in resources that we need. Of course, meaningful, progressive school reform is unsustainable without adequate funding—and that struggle must continue. But developing a vision for the changes we want to see at each school can bring more teachers, students, and parents into our struggle and lend urgency to the fight for more resources.

In other words, we need a dual strategy to confront the dual attack of budget cuts and top-down reform. Progressive teachers in several cities have formed organizations to take on this challenge: The Caucus of Rank-and-File Educators in Chicago, the Grassroots Education Movement in New York City, Educators for a Democratic Union in San Francisco, and Progressive Educators for Action in Los Angeles.

Rhee, Ravitch, Randi Too Upcoming in Philly

Ken Derstine from Philadelphia sent this to his email list.

People should be aware that Michelle Rhee's Town Hall in Philadelphia on September 16th (the day before Diane Ravitch's author event at the Free Library) will be a full scale assault on rank and file teachers in the midst of the crisis in the District.

According to this Politico report "Michelle Rhee invites teachers union reps to new town halls":

"Rhee will have company on her cross-country tour, which includes stops in Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Birmingham, Ala.,Steve Perry, who founded and runs the Capital Preparatory Magnet School in Connecticut and former Washington Teachers’ Union President George Parker will both join her at each event.

Also invited — but not yet confirmed: the brass from teachers unions city or state chapters, as well as their rank-and-file membership. An invitation from Parker was sent to those union leaders on Wednesday."

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/08/michelle-rhee-invites-teachers-union-reps-to-new-town-halls-95539.html#ixzz2ciaFFS4r

Some background on former Washington DC union president George Parker. I went into his history in my February 24th  article "Who is Eli Broad and why is he trying to destroy public education?"  http://www.defendpubliceducation.net/

In the section "The Broad Foundation and the unions" I said:

"On June 3, 2010, at their union leader’s urging, the Washington D.C. Teachers Union ratified a contract with the Washington D.C. School District, headed by Chancellor Michelle Rhee, which included performance pay linked to test score growth, and a weakening of seniority and tenure. Union President George Parker called the ratification of the contract “a great day for teachers and students.” On November 10, 2010, Parker was voted out of office by the union rank-and-file. On May 20, 2011, Michelle Rhee announced that Parker was joining her corporate reform organization StudentsFirst. Rhee had resigned as Chancellor of Washington D.C. schools on October 13, 2010, and started StudentsFirst soon after. Rhee’s Deputy Chancellor and chief negotiator of the 2010 teachers’ contract, Kaya Henderson, replaced her. Henderson recently announced the proposed closing of 20 schools due to “under enrollment”."

*********************

On Friday, August 23 Randi tweeted this about Diane's author event:

Randi Weingarten        ✔ @rweingarten

@ParentsUnitedPA @DianeRavitch -i will be there introducing Diane.

**********************

National teachers union leader points to St. Louis as model
St. Louis Post- Dispatch - August 14, 2013 

School Standards' Debut Is Rocky, and Critics PounceThe New York Times - August 15, 2013

Teachers at Green Dot Charter Schools OK Merit Pay
(See immediately preceding article.)
Diane Ravitch's blog - July 11, 2012

These are the Philadelphia School District "contract proposals" to the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers

http://home.earthlink.net/~stwriley/CBA%20Teacher%20Proposals%20-1.pdf

 

 

Klein Letter to PS 150 Brownsville Parents

Follow-up to our previous postof Klein's letter to PS 241's Harlem parents, which should be read in full with the Ed Notes' decoder annotations.

If you are following the saga at PS 241 in Harlem we posted earlier in the day, here is the similar letter Klein sent to PS 150 undermining that school. That these acts of sabotage of schools he supposedly is in charge of, are despicable, there is no doubt. There is no clearer example than these letters of the true agenda of BloomKlein – to pick of as many public schools as possible an turn them over to private, well-connected interests. For those who look to politicians for help, consider that people like state Senate leader Malcolm Smith started two charter schools. If you look to the UFT for help, they too started two charter schools and made deals with others (Green Dot), while proclaiming this weekend at the NYSUT convention in Buffalo how much they support charters. There is only one defense teachers and parents who will be left holding the bag of a wasted public school system have: organize.

A Parable

Joel Klein was challenged by his counterpart in Tokyo to a canoe race between the highest performing schools on standardized tests in their respective school systems. The race would be held on the Hudson River. Both teams practiced long and hard to reach their peak performance before the race.

On the big day, the Japanese won by a mile.

Klein decided to investigate the reason for the crushing defeat. A senior management team from Tweed was formed to recommend appropriate action. Their conclusion was the Japanese had 8 people rowing and 1 person steering, while the American team had 8 people steering and 1 person rowing.

Feeling a more professional study with statistics was in order, Klein hired the Alvarez and Marsal consulting company, paying $15 million for a second opinion. Their conclusion: too many people were steering the boat, while not enough people were rowing, but it would take another $15 million for them to come up with a solution.

Klein gladly paid, telling critics of the high fee that the people at Tweed just didn't have the expertise needed and besides, these critics were just afraid of change and that a victory over the Japanese was essential as a demonstration of the success of his Children First initiative. A&M recommended that the rowing team's management structure be totally reorganized to 4 steering supervisors, 3 area steering superintendents and 1 assistant superintendent steering manager.

Tweed's top management implemented a new performance system that would give the one person rowing the boat greater incentive to work harder. It was called the 'Rowing Team Quality First Program.' The program included after school meetings, new rowing standards and free pens to motivate the rower. Suggestions from the school to get new paddles, canoes, and extra money for practices were rejected on the grounds that "just throwing money at a problem does not lead to a solution."

The next year the Japanese won by two miles.

Klein blamed whatever was left of seniority protection in the teacher contract for the loss and the rower was U-rated for poor performance. All capital investments for new equipment was cancelled and the money saved was distributed to the Senior Executives as bonuses and the next year's racing team would be staffed from a Charter School jointly managed by Green Dot and the UFT.

Thanks to Benna G. and Beth K.

The New Existential Threat by Paul Moore

When this humble teacher advised that the global economy was over a few months ago it was greeted with mild amusement by most I'm sure, if it registered at all. After all who am I? The end of the global economy was, of course, not my original idea. It belongs to the "peak oil" pioneers. People who saw that the planet's supply of oil would peak and then decline. And that an economy built on a fantasy, that oil would serve as a perpetual and cheap source of energy, would fail.

The failing has begun and much smarter people than me have begun to talk about it. For instance, NPR's Morning Edition spoke with Canadian economist Jeff Rubin about his new book 'Why Your World Is About To Get A Whole Lot Smaller' Take a listen here:

http://www.npr.org/templates/player/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=104466911&m=104517033

For more about the book go here:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=104466911

Why discuss this matter on a site that seeks to defend the principle of universal public education across the US? Because this transition will have a profound effect on public education and what's left of American democracy.

For instance the biggest threats to public education in the age of globalization, the Business Roundtable, Bill Gates, Eli Broad, the wife and spawn of Sam Walton, and Mayor "Little Ceasar" Bloomberg are going to go into decline. The Green Dot's, the KIPP, the TFA's, and Eva Moskowitz' Harlem crusade are soon over. The $18 billion Gates lost this year is just the first measure of his fall. He's gonna live like us soon! Of course I exaggerate, Gates would fake his own death before he'd work for a living. But the point is a realigned capitalist economy will deal these folks out.

The US economy is going to be run out of the banks, out of Goldman Sachs' offices. That's why the US treasury is being transferred there now. And the social order, if it can be maintained behind massive joblessness and the end of pensions and health care, will be the responsibility of the military. The public schools face a new existential threat, fascism, the last refuge of capitalism from an economic system that actually works for humanity.

Paul A. Moore

More on Detroit Union Elections: Steve Conn and Heather Miller Get Jobs Back

Both Steve Conn and Heather Miller recently go their jobs back after being fired for participating in a rally.

See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lpkyNHYZck for the press conference on the law suit.

Steve Conn was an activist in Teamsters Local 688 and Teamsters for a Democratic Union in St.Louis in the in the 1980's. He is now a supporter of the civil rights group BAMM and current candidate for President of the Detroit Teachers Union. He recently spoke on the panel on "Defense of Public Education in the USA" which was part of the AFT Peace And Justice Caucus events at the American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO convention last July in Chicago.

So what's going on in Detroit with a slate of pro Green Dot so-called "reformers" (see post previous to this) and Steve Conn running in the Detroit teacher union elections? I'm efforting to get more info and will post an update attached to this post when I do.

And of course, there is the questions of whether there will still be a Detroit if the auto industry goes bust.

A tale of the UFT and non-union building

Need to Run a Chapter Leader Election?

Some teachers have returned to school to find their chapter leader has resigned, been excessed, hung. Sometimes they contact the union to find out what to do. It's sort of left to someone conscious enough to take action. Sometimes, since there is no one in charge, they don't and the principal can just give out those parking permits as they wish. And do some other crap too.

Now one would think the UFT machinery would provide schools with an automatic method of handing this situation. An election for chapter leader should be held immediately but the UFT is so missing in action at this crucial moment in the school year. I guess they have other fish to fry (hint - look for a large green dot) than worrying about schools being left hanging without a union rep.

frying fish at the UFT

Some district reps take some initiative and set up a load of info.

Others respond with: "They are out of the kits and have ordered more. When it arrives, I will mail it to you."

Now this is one dumb (or lazy) district rep. (Why worry if a school has no union rep?) Maybe he thinks the kit comes in a box.

The ICE web site (not the blog) has the scanned "kit" downloadable in a pdf. (6th item on left hand panel.)

Maybe I missed it but I wish the UFT web site had the elusive "kit." If anyone wants to go on a scavenger hunt to find it, let us know.

Separated at Birth: Leo Casey, UFT - Steve Barr, Greendot Charter School Slug

Note: online learning will replace teachers. Another example of the UFT being a partner in crime.

Leonie Haimson wrote:

On Inside City Hall last night, Steve Barr was selling the expansion of his "Green dot" charters in NYC, where he said he will focus on online learning, bring his "model" inside DOE, and he bragged about how he's working closely w/ the UFT,  including Leo Casey and Michael Mulgrew. 

He says "parents are owners" but so far neither the DOE, Barr, nor apparently the UFT have told anyone what schools  in the Bronx he intends to "turn around."

"If you can find that mutual co-option {between union and charter school operators], we can get beyond 3% [of students at ] charters, the great works happening at of charters should be scaled up as quickly as possible, we don't have time to play these adult games."'

NY1.com: http://bit.ly/eAgKym

Incoming- DUCK

Excuse the sloppy formatting. There is so much stuff coming in and I'm really falling behind. Here are a bunch of links to check out, many of which I haven't had time for so far.

Also, make sure to check out the new link I added on the side panel to my Los Angeles list - The Charter School Invasion in Los Angeles - (all the links make lovely reading) on tepid results for Green Dot and other schools in LA.

From Patrick Sullivan
(Patrick as the Manhattan borough parent rep has been the lone voice of opposition to BloomKlein on the PEP - the joke of a NYC board of education.)

I've read the Obama Administration's proposal for the 4.5 billion dollar Race to the Top Fund and find it disturbing. I've written two posts for the [NYC Parents] blog here and here.

I encourage everyone to read it and provide a comment on the official form on regulations.gov. There is a pdf version which is best for reading here.

http://www.regulations.gov/search/Regs/home.html#documentDetail?R=09000064809fdd04

Patrick is one parent who gets it as he comments:
I see the main thrust is about holding teachers accountable for student performance using high stakes tests. With parents in the mix then things get messy, someone might actually suggest we are accountable. Better to just focus on the teachers.



From Susan Ohanian's daily updates (you really should subscribe). Yesterday she compiled quite a list. Use her comments to pick and choose. Susan continues to be one of the major voices of the resistance.

This is another posting that got away from me. Sorry there are so many.


There are a lot more articles here that are outrageous almost beyond belief, though these days we know that nothing is so outrageous that the people on
Arne's team won't do it.

Meanwhile, I hope you will send me news of your activism so I can post it at
www.stopnationalstandards.org

Susan
susano@gmavt.net

PO Box 26
Charlotte, VT 05445

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Are charters schools a price of entry to reform?
Donna Gordon Blankinship
Associated Press
2009-08-17
http://susanohanian.org/show_atrocities.php?id=8808

So why would these 11 states participate in the Common Core Standards if their lack of support of charters takes them out of the running for Race to the Top
bribes?

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Tutoring tots? Kids prep for kindergarten
Jacqueline Stenson
MSNBC
2009-08-18
http://susanohanian.org/show_atrocities.php?id=8807

An article on skills tutoring for pre-kindergartners sets Ohanian toreminiscing. And there's a funny aside about the ads that appear on Amazon.com.

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Veteran teachers treated unfairly in competitive job market, some say
Sarah Carr
Times-Picayune
2009-08-18
http://susanohanian.org/show_atrocities.php?id=8806

In the most competitive market for job-hunting teachers in New Orleans in recent
memory -- perhaps ever -- some worry that veteran educators have received short
shrift.

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Education Equality Project Continues Strong American Schools' Mission
Joel I. Klein
Education Equality Project
2009-08-18
http://susanohanian.org/show_atrocities.php?id=8805

An e-mail from Joel Klein, you know, the fellow who claims to be building a
civil rights movement.

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Why Most Schools Don't have the Nerve to Ask Third Graders for an Evaluation
Don Perl with Cade
Coalition for Better Education
2009-08-17
http://susanohanian.org/show_atrocities.php?id=8804

A third grader starts school and writes and evaluation.

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Oprah Promotes Michelle Rhee
Staff
O Magazine
0000-00-00
http://susanohanian.org/show_atrocities.php?id=8803

O Magazine's first ever O Power List. 20 remarkable visionaries who are flexing
their muscles in business and finance, politics and justice, science and the
arts.

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Connecting Anxious Parents and Educators, at $450 an Hour
Susan Dominus
New  York Times
2009-08-18
http://susanohanian.org/show_atrocities.php?id=8802

Find out what book wealthy New York parents of pre-schools are buying.

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Obama Pushes States to Shift on Education
Sam Dillon
New  York Times
2009-08-17
http://susanohanian.org/show_atrocities.php?id=8801

That aggressive use of economic stimulus money by Education Secretary Arne
Duncan is provoking heated debates over the uses of standardized testing and the
proper federal role in education, issues that flared frequently during President
George W. Bush’s enforcement of his signature education law, called No Child
Left Behind.  NOTE: The two national unions have not formally commented on the
proposed rules.



And California residents need to get on Gloria Romero's case.

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California Teacher Takes Criticism of Race to the Top to the Union
Virginia Tibbetts
Stop National Standards
2009-08-10
http://susanohanian.org/show_atrocities.php?id=8800

Isn't it time for every union member to demand some answers and some action from
their union?

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To the editor
Juanita Doyon
News Tribune
2009-08-19
http://susanohanian.org/show_letters.html?id=1067

Three cheers for Juanita Doyon, who helps activist causes throughout the country
with custom-made buttons and advice when she's not writing letters to the
editor.

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Open Letter to Arne Duncan
Herbert Kohl
The Progressive
2009-08-18
http://susanohanian.org/show_letters.html?id=1066

Herb Kohl says Arne Duncan misread his book and offers to send him another copy.

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To the editor
Stephen Krashen and Susan Ohanian
Newsweek
2009-08-16
http://susanohanian.org/show_letters.html?id=1065

Ms. Clift, a professional political writer, and Mr. Duncan, a former
professional basketball player, have not spent enough time with children and
teachers, and neither they nor their staffs are familiar with the vast research
literature that says that children are not programmable robots.

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An Open Letter to NCTE Members about the Common Core State Standards
Kylene Beers, President NCTE
NCTE
2009-08-17
http://susanohanian.org/outrage_fetch.php?id=582



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Gates Gives 15 States an Edge in Race to the Top
Michele McNeil
Education Week blog
2009-08-18
http://susanohanian.org/outrage_fetch.php?id=581



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Connecting the Dots
Jay Spuck and Susan Ohanian
Business Week, Wireless PR, & Chicago contract
2009-08-17
http://susanohanian.org/outrage_fetch.php?id=580



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Dear DOE
Diane Ravitch
Race to the Top Public Comments
2009-08-17
http://susanohanian.org/outrage_fetch.php?id=579



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Reinventing No Child Left Behind
Stephen Lendman
The People's Voice.org
2009-08-19
http://susanohanian.org/show_nclb_atrocities.html?id=3688

NCLB's real aim is to commodify public education, end government responsibility
for it, and make it another business profit center. Obama plans to reinvent a
failed policy, give it a new name, and claim it will fix NCLB's shortcomings.

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Race to the Top won't get students any further ahead
Mike Schutz
Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel
2009-08-18
http://susanohanian.org/show_nclb_atrocities.html?id=3687

You want to know how best to spend time and money to provide kids with the best
possible learning experience? Ask a classroom teacher.

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Against National Standards:Let the states decide what to teach- they'll do less
harm.
Liam Julian
Weekly Standard
2009-08-10
http://susanohanian.org/show_nclb_atrocities.html?id=3685

A conservative argues that the quality of the product, and the possibility of
developing excellent standards shouldn't be sacrificed for the sake of middling
countrywide uniformity.

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Educating for individuality
Lynn Stoddard
Ogden Standard Examiner
2009-08-15
http://susanohanian.org/show_nclb_atrocities.html?id=3684

Lynn Stoddard warns: Now you have a choice. Do nothing and get national
standards for student uniformity imposed on your schools. OR .....

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Freedom in Education Meeting
Joe  Lucido

2009-08-19
http://susanohanian.org/show_nclb_stories.html?id=399

Fresno is the place to be on August 29. Come organize for resistance.